Not applicable.
This invention relates to food products. More particularly, the invention relates to textured whey protein for use as an extender of ground meat products, meat analog, and snack food and to methods of making thereof.
There is a great demand for an extender of coarse-ground meat products. The market is currently occupied by a variety of textured vegetable proteins (TVPs), especially those from soybeans. Since 1983 most U.S. military purchases of ground beef have specified inclusion of 20% hydrated soy protein. Soy Proteins History, Prospects in Food, 3 INFORM 429-444 (1992). At the Third Annual Soy Symposium held in November, 1998, it was reported that the market for meatless meat products in the U.S. and Canada reached $180 million in 1995, $265 million in 1996, and was expected to reach $376 million in 1998. N. Chapman, Where Is the Soyfood Market Headed, Third Annual Soyfoods Symposium (1998) (www.soyfoods.com/symposium98/ ChapmanPaper98. html). It is predicted that the market for meatless meat products will pass one billion dollars by the year 2001.
The market for meatless meat products supplies diverse consumers and is not exclusive to soy products. At least 80% of those consuming meat alternatives do not consider themselves vegetarians; Americans are now simply more open to healthy eating options than in the past. Midwest Grain Products, Inc. produces a texturized wheat gluten called WHEATEX, which is used by Gardenburger in its GARDEN VEGAN VEGGIE PATTIES. M. Davis, Atchison, Kan.-based Grain Products Company Finds New Uses for Gluten, Kansas City Star (Dec. 9, 1998). Considering the meat alternative market, texturized WPC 80 (whey protein concentrate containing 80% protein), a widely available, inexpensive, and nutritious protein source, would be expected to be a competitive product.
Thermoplastic extrusion is one of the methods used to texture protein-containing mixtures. High pressure and temperature (greater than 130xc2x0 C. to 140xc2x0 C.) melt globular proteins and carbohydrates into incompatible phases that form a dispersion and contribute to the formation of a fibrous structure. V.
Tolstoguzov, Thermoplastic Extrusionxe2x80x94The Mechanism for the Formation of Extrudate Structure and Properties, 70 J. Amer. Oil Chem. Soc. 417-424 (1993). Whey proteins, however, are more heat sensitive than are other proteins. Typical high-temperature extrusion methods would burn whey proteins. Therefore, if whey proteins are to be used for making a textured whey protein product, a method of extruding such proteins without burning them is needed.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that providing textured whey protein products and methods of making thereof would be significant advancements in the art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a textured whey protein product suitable for use as an extender of coarse-ground meat products and as a meat analog.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a textured whey protein product suitable for use as a low-fat, sugar-free, high-protein snack food.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of making a textured whey protein product that is suitable for use as an extender of coarse-ground meat products and as a meat analog.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of making a textured whey protein product that is suitable for use as a snack food.
It is yet another object of the invention to use thermoplastic extrusion to produce a textured whey protein product having a stable, meat-like texture for use as an extender of coarse-ground meat products and as a meat analog.
It is another object of the invention to provide a textured whey protein product that has a clean flavor with little or no aftertaste and that blends well with meat products.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method for using thermoplastic extrusion for making a textured whey protein product without burning such whey proteins.
These and other objects can be addressed by providing a textured whey protein product comprising a thermoplastic extrusion product of a composition comprising preferably about 40-100% by weight of a whey protein concentrate and about 0-60% by weight of an edible polysaccharide, more preferably about 40-99% by weight of whey protein concentrate and about 1-60% by weight of edible polysaccharide, and most preferably about 60-95% by weight of whey protein concentrate and 5-40% by weight of edible polysaccharide. The whey protein concentrate preferably comprises about 20-80% by weight of protein, and more preferably comprises at least about 80% by weight of protein. The edible polysaccharide is preferably a member selected from the group consisting of starches, cellulosics, dietary fibers, and mixtures thereof. Preferred starches include corn, potato, rice, tapioca, bran, and soy starches, modified variants thereof, and mixtures thereof. Preferred cellulosics include celluloses, modified celluloses, and mixtures thereof. Preferred dietary fibers include maltodextrin, inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, pectin, guar gum, and mixtures thereof. In another illustrative embodiment of the invention, the composition further comprises a minor amount of a calcium salt, such as calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, and mixtures thereof. A pH-adjusting agent can also be added to the composition for adjusting the sensory and physical properties of the textured whey protein product.
A method for making a textured whey protein product comprises:
(a) preparing a composition comprising about 40-100% by weight of a whey protein concentrate and about 0-60% by weight of an edible polysaccharide;
(b) thermoplastically extruding the composition under conditions of temperature and pressure such that the composition is melted and cooked to result in an extrudate; and
(c) drying the extrudate to result in the textured whey protein product.
Cooling the extrudate prior to returning it to atmospheric pressure inhibits expansion or puffing of the extrudate and results in a textured whey protein product having a meat-like texture suitable for use as a meat extender or meat analog. If the extrudate is not cooled prior to being returned to atmospheric pressure, then the extrudate expands or puffs, resulting in a textured whey protein product suitable for use as a snack food.
Before the present textured whey protein products and methods of making thereof are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
The publications and other reference materials referred to herein to describe the background of the invention and to provide additional detail regarding its practice are hereby incorporated by reference. The references discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms xe2x80x9ca,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9can,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cthexe2x80x9d include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a textured whey protein product containing xe2x80x9can edible polysaccharidexe2x80x9d includes reference to two or more of such edible polysaccharides, reference to xe2x80x9ca starchxe2x80x9d includes reference to one or more of such starches, and reference to xe2x80x9ca calcium saltxe2x80x9d includes reference to two or more of such calcium salts.
In describing and claiming the present invention, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below.
As used herein, xe2x80x9ccomprising,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cincluding,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ccontaining,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ccharacterized by,xe2x80x9d and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. xe2x80x9cComprisingxe2x80x9d is to be interpreted as including the more restrictive terms xe2x80x9cconsisting ofxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cconsisting essentially of.xe2x80x9d
As used herein, xe2x80x9cconsisting ofxe2x80x9d and grammatical equivalents thereof exclude any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim.
As used herein, xe2x80x9cconsisting essentially ofxe2x80x9d and grammatical equivalents thereof limit the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic or characteristics of the claimed invention.
As used herein xe2x80x9cwhey protein concentratexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cWPCxe2x80x9d or similar terms means a concentrated protein preparation from whey.
Whey protein concentrate is commercially available from a variety of sources, and methods for making whey protein concentrate are well known in the art, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,974, for example.
As used herein, xe2x80x9cedible polysaccharidesxe2x80x9d include starches, such as cornstarch and other starches such as potato, rice, tapioca, bran, and soy starches and modified variants thereof;
cellulosics, such as celluloses and modified celluloses such as carboxymethylcellulose; dietary fibers, such as maltodextrin, inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, pectin, and guar gum; and mixtures thereof. A preferred edible polysaccharide according to the present invention is cornstarch.
As used herein, xe2x80x9ccalcium saltxe2x80x9d means an edible calcium salt that is suitable for use in food, such as calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, and the like, and mixtures thereof.
As used herein, xe2x80x9cpH-adjusting agentxe2x80x9d or similar terms means an acid, base, or buffer that is suitable for use in food.
A textured whey protein product having a meat-like texture can be made by thermoplastic extrusion. The texture of this product can be varied depending on the chemical composition of the ingredients and the type of extruder die used. For the production of a textured product, suitable for use as a meat extender or meat analog, dry mixtures of whey protein concentrate and edible polysaccharide are extruded on an twin-screw extruder, preferably at a temperature in the range of about 135-160xc2x0 C. and at a pressure in the range of about 50-500 psi. For example, thermoplastic extrusion of a mixture of 2 parts by weight of WPC 80 and 1 part by weight of cornstarch results in a textured product with 50% protein. Starting protein levels from 35 to 100% can also result in a textured product. Addition of acid or base to the water inlet stream and/or the addition of calcium to the dry protein/starch mix will also result in a textured product suitable for use as a meat extender or meat analog.
Sensory analysis of the textured whey protein (TWP) samples prepared through the use of acid, base, and/or calcium are described in the examples below. It was found that 30% TWP0.2MNaOH patties are equal to all-beef patties in tenderness, juiciness, texture, flavor, and overall acceptability. Consumers prefer patties with TWP0.2MNaOH used as a meat extender over 30% commercially available textured soy protein patties. In addition, it was found that TWP0.2MNaOH is well accepted by consumers up to a least the 40% level in beef patties. The 40% TWP0.2MNaOH patties had higher cook yield, less diameter reduction, and lower change in thickness than all-beef patties. Sensory analysis of a 100% TWP product was also conducted, and the 100% TWP product was preferred by consumers over a 100% textured soy and other meatless patties.
Another illustrative embodiment of the invention relates to a low fat, sugar-free, high protein snack food. This product can be used, for example, for supplementing the diet with protein. xe2x80x9cLow fatxe2x80x9d for a snack food is defined as 3 g or less of total fat per 50 g of total product. The present snack product provides about 0.72 g of fat per 50 g (xcx9c1.8 oz.), as determined by the Goldfish method (Official Methods of Analysis, Fat, Lactose, Protein and Solids in Milk (AOAC International, Arlington, Virginia, 16th ed. 1996)). xe2x80x9cSugar-freexe2x80x9d is defined as less than 0.5 g sugar per reference serving. The lactose content of the present snack product was analyzed using an enzymatic Bioanalysis assay for lactose (Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, IN), which resulted in 0.5 g lactose per 28-g (1-oz.) serving. xe2x80x9cHigh proteinxe2x80x9d foods are defined as foods containing 20% or more of the Daily Value (DV) of protein per reference amount. The present snack product contains g of protein per 28-g (1-oz.) serving, which is 30% DV.
The snack food product is comprised of the same ingredients as the meat extender or meat analog, the principal difference between the two products being in the method of manufacture. For example, in an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the snack food product is manufactured by extruding whey protein concentrate and cornstarch with 0.1 M NaOH at about 145-147xc2x0 C. A preferred weight ratio of whey protein concentrate to corn starch is 67% to 33%, while the range of protein in the whey protein concentrate is about 20-80% by weight. As with the meat extender product, the preferred starch is commercial cornstarch, but other starches such as modified corn, potato, modified potato, rice, tapioca, and bran can also be used. The preferred liquid source is 0.1 M NaOH, but other liquids, such as 0-2 M sodium hydroxide or water can also be used. These conditions result in an expanded, crunchy product with small, even cell size. The intended use of the product is to supplement the diet with protein in the form of a convenient snack food.
Several flavoring systems can be used with the textured whey snack (TWS) such as incorporation of flavoring, enrobing, coating, and electrostatic coating, as are well known in the art. Incorporation of flavor into the TWS has been modeled because it requires no additional equipment, does not use additional fat, and results in a powder-free convenient product. The TWS can be fortified by adding vitamins and minerals to a topically applied seasoning.